FRENCH MINISTER CALLS ON TURKEY TO ADMIT THE FACT OF GENOCIDE
17/02/2005
Claude Haignere, French minister for European Affairs, demanded Turkey to put up with the fact of the Genocide. Participating in the February 14 program of CNN-Turk, he answered questions concerning the Armenian Genocide put by Mehmet Ali Birand, well-known Turkish journalist. According to the Turkish Sansuruz Internet newspaper, Haignere showed the possibility of reconciliation on the example of France and Germany, the EU has a plan of reconciliation no matter how deep the unsolved historic issues are. "Refreshing the memory is an inevitable step in the process, as Europe was built on that very principle," he added.
Emphasizing the necessity of reconciliation, the French minister said that Turkey is to take first steps in the Genocide issue. At the same time, he reminded the law "On recognizing the Armenian genocide" adopted in France in 2001. "We still have enough time. Refreshing of the memory sometimes may last rather long. As you know, the French-German reconciliation lasted 50 years. Progress is needed for reconciliation. Though we don’t mean imposing deadlines, the membership of the candidate states to the EU can be possible only within the framework of reconciliation process," he added.
It means that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide will be a precondition for Turkey’s membership to EU.
Source
17/02/2005
Claude Haignere, French minister for European Affairs, demanded Turkey to put up with the fact of the Genocide. Participating in the February 14 program of CNN-Turk, he answered questions concerning the Armenian Genocide put by Mehmet Ali Birand, well-known Turkish journalist. According to the Turkish Sansuruz Internet newspaper, Haignere showed the possibility of reconciliation on the example of France and Germany, the EU has a plan of reconciliation no matter how deep the unsolved historic issues are. "Refreshing the memory is an inevitable step in the process, as Europe was built on that very principle," he added.
Emphasizing the necessity of reconciliation, the French minister said that Turkey is to take first steps in the Genocide issue. At the same time, he reminded the law "On recognizing the Armenian genocide" adopted in France in 2001. "We still have enough time. Refreshing of the memory sometimes may last rather long. As you know, the French-German reconciliation lasted 50 years. Progress is needed for reconciliation. Though we don’t mean imposing deadlines, the membership of the candidate states to the EU can be possible only within the framework of reconciliation process," he added.
It means that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide will be a precondition for Turkey’s membership to EU.
Source